Archive for December, 2010

Chalk this one up to “I never thought I’d need this, but glad it’s there!”

I’m currently working on a little project where I wanted to have an honest-to-goodness struct of structs, but to have the structure retain the order of the child structures as they are created. Of course, ColdFusion structures do not have any particular ordering, so forget that route.

Fortunately, you can create a Java LinkedHashMap to accomplish this, and there’s very little impact to the normal course of development in working with structures. In fact, I think the only real difference is case sensitivity.

Continuing with Athanasius, we come across an outstanding passage from On the Incarnation of the Word wherein Athanasius brilliantly lays out the reason for Christ’s Incarnation. But for Athanasius, the importance of the Incarnation is of more importance than the mere appearing of God in the person of Christ. Rather, he sees an indelible link between the manner in which Christ has come (in the flesh), and the work which he accomplishes.

To Athanasius, the assumption of human nature is the means by which the corruption and dissolution which has infected humanity can finally be undone. Through his suffering and death, Christ tastes the annihilating power of sin and death. Yet because he is at the same time the incorruptible Word of God made manifest in the flesh, the corruption of sin and death which would normally obliterate the human person severed from God is of no permanent effect on him. By virtue of his justification and “grace” in the resurrection granted to him by the power of the Father, Christ reveals the powers of sin and death to be ultimately vacuous, and in this triumph over the grave, he crushes forever their claim on his brothers, the race of humankind that has been More >

Throughout theological history, there have been many theories set forth regarding the origin and theological meaning of human mortality. Some, seeing mortality as the result of a departure from a pristine existence in the Garden of Eden, root the advent of human mortality in the “fall” of Adam and Eve by virtue of their disobedience of God’s commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Others, especially those influenced by reflections upon the theories of biological evolution, understand human mortality as something which is the natural state of existence, the peculiar aspect which all things in the impermanent universe share in common.

For those who have read my previous thoughts on the subject, it should be plainly obvious where I come down on the issue, and I have argued strenuously that I believe it is possible to assume the latter position while still putting forward a thoroughly biblical and theologically tenable understanding of the nature of human existence in relationship to God, the problem of evil, and the ultimate purposes of God within the universe.

Nevertheless, I was extremely intrigued to come across a fairly developed argument from St. Athanasius on this very topic. The selection More >

For those who don’t know, Emery ranks among my favorite bands right now. I love their in-your-face music, but also admire the thoughtfulness that they put into their lyrics, as well as the steps they’ve taken over the years to grow as a band. Over the course of their last 4 releases, the band has explored new styles, tried new things, and I think has created within their fan base an expectation for innovation.

If you’ve listened to Emery–ever–you might expect their Christmas offering for this year’s Happy Christmas compilation (by Tooth and Nail records) to be more of the same intense approach that has been a hallmark of their music (including their last Christmas single, Ho Ho Hey, a Way for Santa’s Sleigh). However, Emery’s contribution is atypical, in more ways than one.

What is most immediately apparent is the aesthetic of the music. A far cry from the scream-core for which they are most well known (and loved), this song is a stripped down acoustic set that would could be easily imagined to come from a group like Copeland. It’s simply, but tastefully arranged and composed, and I think really shows that Emery is capable of much more musically than what some More >

It will not be out of place to consider the ancient tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church, which was revealed by the Lord, proclaimed by the apostles and guarded by the fathers. For upon this faith the Church is built…

Light, radiance and grace are in the Trinity and from the Trinity

Light, radiance and grace are in the Trinity and from the Trinity

We acknowledge the Trinity, holy and perfect, to consist of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In this Trinity there is no intrusion of any alien element or of anything from outside, nor is the Trinity a blend of creative and created being.

Light, radiance and grace are in the Trinity and from the Trinity

Light, radiance and grace are in the Trinity and from the Trinity

It is a wholly creative and energizing reality, self-consistent and undivided in its active power,

For the Father makes all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit, and in this way the unity is preserved.

I’ve been using ColdFusion for probably about 5 years now. While I certainly do not consider myself an expert at it by any stretch of the imagination, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of what CF can do and what some of the more standard features of it are.

Well, I did until today. While browsing the docs, I came across the isValid() method. I could have sworn that I’d used this in the past, but as I looked at its capabilities for validation, it was clear that I apparently missed that day in class.

So isValid() is super-sweet because you can use it to…well…validate whether or not some ColdFusion variable is of whatever type that you’re expecting it to be. Like an email address. Or a phone number. Or a flippin’ component. Or an integer…no, not just a numeric value, but a real INTEGER. There’s a bunch more goodness, so be sure to check it out when you have a chance.

As for me, perhaps I need to spend some more time in the docs every day to figure out what other awesomeness I’ve been missing…